Sunday Funday was a success thanks to YOU!

Parkway Sundays and the Ferguson Youth Initiative thanks everyone for joining us for such a spectacular festival! Everything was awesome from the music, popcorn, dancing, disc golf, face-painting, rock climbing, the firetrucks, the police cars and much more!

There were so many resources and overall fun offered. We hope everyone had a blast just as we did here at FYI. Thank you once again and we can’t wait to see you at the next Sunday Funday! Stay tuned for details!

The first pick up will be at 12:30 pm in the front of the Ferguson Sports Complex. It will drop off the riders at the Ferguson Community Center. For these riders, the bus will then take them back to the Forestwood location at 3:30 pm

The second pick up will be at 1 pm and at 830 S. Florissant Rd (the former design print shop) and will also drop them off at the Community Center. Then at 4:00 pm these riders will be taken back to the 830 S. Florissant Rd location.

Youth will need a parent or guardian with them to ride on the trolley. Thanks & see you on Sunday.

Come out and play!

SUNDAY PARKWAYS are FREE events for you, your family and friends to play in car-free streets. You are invited to take to the streets to walk, bike, run, and play! Streets will be closed in different Ferguson neighborhoods for each event.

FYI’s newest program is called PYC (Positive Youth Corps). It’s a Drum & Bugle Corps, and is a summer program that is geared towards teenagers! The corps has a full Drum Line, a brass Horn Line, a Color Guard (flag team) and a Dance Team. PYC focuses on music, life-skills, teamwork and physical fitness. PYC’s goal is to perform during local parades and festivals. Read More …

Kim Jones has been coaching basketball teams through Upward Sports for the past 5 years. This is a great program helps children learn to play basketball, but more importantly helps them grow mentally, physically and socially. There are two basketball clinics on July 11th and 25th. This will be open for children Kindergarten through 6th grade (both girls and boys). Kim Jones and Michael Wyatt at Ferguson Heights Church of Christ who will be hosting the two clinics. The parents can call Ferguson Heights to find out more about the Upward Sports basketball program and register.

Are you looking for better opportunities? Do you need something to do this summer? Well we have great news for you! Each student who participates in ServiceWorks will receive 50 community service hours.

We are excited to announce that the STL Youth Jobs: Ferguson Forward initiative will continue on with a new cohort of youth this summer. The application for youth is available now at: http://mersgoodwill.org/stl-youth-jobs-ferguson/. If you know youth that live in 63135 or 63136, please let them know about this opportunity. There are more details in the flyer below!

If you are a current employer that is interested in continuing on with us as an employer this summer, please fill out the employer intake form below and submit it ASAP.

Be part of Give STL Day and make a difference in St. Louis! According to givestlday.org,

“Give STL Day is a 24-hour giving event with local impact. Donate to the nonprofits working on the causes YOU care about. More than 790 nonprofit organizations have signed up to participate and will be raising much needed dollars with your help!

Give STL Day also kicks off the Greater Saint Louis Community Foundation’s 100th birthday, and we are joining hundreds of community foundations across the country for the biggest gives day in history.

There will also be prizes and incentives awarded throughout the day to help make your donation dollars go even further!”

We can’t be prosperous without our supporters. April 25, 2015 was a successful event for FYI, our 1st annual banquet and we THANK YOU!

GiveStlDay is another opportunity to support young people; BEYOND FERGUSON! Make your mark on the region! Give to one or more nonprofits on www.givestlday.org #givestlday @stlouisgives

EarthDance Organic Farm School, located in Ferguson, is accepting applications from local high school students and recent graduates for Junior Farm Crew (JFC) this summer! EarthDance will hire 10 young adults for jobs at the farm. Work shifts will take place M-F, 8am-12pm beginning on June 8th, and ending August 11th. Summer Junior Farm Crew members may have the option to continue working during the fall as well.

JFC will consist of:

Basic farm work, such as weeding and harvesting vegetables

Landscaping

Public speaking, when leading tours for farm visitors

Attending special events as an EarthDance representative

Preparing healthy food

Participating in workshops about the food system

Personal development, teamwork, and leadership

The Junior Farm Crew is a part of EarthDance’s YEAH! (Youth Exploring Agriculture and Health) Program. YEAH! provides young people with the opportunity to connect to nature, healthy food, and personal growth through learning and employment on an organic farm. The Junior Farm Crew will be led by Tiffany Brewer, a graduate of EarthDance’s Farm & Garden Apprenticeship Program and long-time coach and tutor.

Members of the Junior Farm Crew will earn $8/hr.

Other details:

Who should apply? (applicants should meet all criteria)

Young people with a strong interest in working outside, gaining job experience, and learning about farming

Ages 16-22

Ferguson-Florissant residents

Applicants able to commit to working daily, M-F, throughout the program

Thank you so much to all of the supporters of Ferguson Youth Initiative. There are great things in store for the young people in Ferguson and we knew we couldn’t make great strides without the help of our supporters. Stay tuned for pictures from our 1st Annual Banquet and also for an official list of sponsors.

The City of Ferguson, the Ferguson Human Rights Commission, and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights are sponsoring a Fair Housing Month Poster and Journalism Contest promoting fair housing and educating families. Submissions are due April 17, 2015.

According to FergusonCity.com, “This contest is open to all youth in grades K-12. To enter, students must write an essay or design a poster around the theme “Fair Housing Is Your Right. USE IT.” Students must incorporate this theme in their essays or posters. The essay or poster should depict what it means for Ferguson residents to have the right to non-discriminatory housing- housing that is accessible and open to everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, or familial status.

Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place entries in EACH group as follows:

Deadline
The deadline for submitting the essay and poster is April 17, 2015. All entries must be delivered and in the possession of the:
City of Ferguson
110 Church Street
Ferguson, MO 63135
by close of business this date. Contest winners will be announced and honored on April 26, 2015 at the:
Ferguson Community Center
1050 Smith Avenue
Ferguson, MO 63135
3 – 5 p.m.